by Karen Kholer
The break between Halloween and Thanksgiving often forms a bit of an awkward in between where many are ready to celebrate Christmas while others vehemently oppose this idea. There is a lot of media specifically associated with Halloween and Christmas but less for this time period. So here are some things to enjoy that could be associated with fall that you may enjoy checking out while it actually feels like fall before we officially enter the holiday season!
For an album with sadder undertones but a light rock vibe Better Oblivion Community Center is the duo of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst and they have an album of the same name that was released in 2019. All of Phoebe Bridgers songs could fit into a fall playlist honestly but this album is particularly fitting. The song with the widest appeal on this album is “Dylan Thomas”, it has a great guitar build and outro perfect for walking over a trail of crunchy leaves.
If you appreciate rock and older music, Foo Fighters and U2 have some pretty good contenders for a fall playlist. Namely from Foo Fighters there’s “Everlong (Acoustic Version)” which was released in 1987, “Times Like These” from 2002 and “Walk” from 2011. From U2 there’s “With or Without You” and “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” from their 1987 album “The Joshua Tree.”
For a folky album that’ll resonate with your emotions and has great storytelling, there’s “The Baby” by Samia from 2020. The song “Big Wheel” in particular seems to capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by life changes but also appreciating the small things and being able to recognize progress. Along the lines of sadder storytelling, “Francis Forever” by Mitski from 2014 is a song that seems to mourn the loss of summer as well as a previous relationship but paints a beautiful picture at the same time. For folk that’s a bit more upbeat and happy, the song “Come Closer” by The National Parks from 2018 is perfect to add to your fall playlist.
As far as shows go, one fall essential would be “Over the Garden Wall.” This show came out in 2014 and is often proclaimed as a great one for this time but it does in some cases slip under the radar. This is a cartoon that follows the story of step-brothers Wirt and Greg who get lost in the woods and get transported into the fantastical world of “The Unknown.” The story actually begins on Halloween and while they’re in the woods throughout the show you can see the trees with colorful, falling leaves as well as there being pumpkin and skeleton imagery.
